Cranberry Broccoli Salad

I swear, I can eat broccoli everyday for the rest of my life if I could. Not sure what it is, but I have always loved it, and finding new ways to eat it is quite fun.

This Cranberry Broccoli Salad is a adaptation from a recipe I found eons ago. I don’t even remember what the original recipe was like anymore, as I took it and made it my own by adding and subtracting ingredients.

Its a hearty salad with great flavor, and stands alone or goes well as a side dish. One of the things I love about it most is that I use every part of the broccoli – both florets and stems that get sliced up and make the most unusual shapes.

::Cranberry Broccoli Salad::

2 small heads of broccoli, florets cut into bite sizes and then stem sliced 1/4 inch thick at a diagonal

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 tsp spicy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

2 Tbs raw sunflowers seeds or more if desired

1. Take cut/sliced broccoli and you can either steam them for 2 minutes or so, or I like to place them in a medium heat deep chefs pan with a bit of oil, salt and pepper and cover. I’ll stir the broccoli every minute or so and let it saute/steam for about 7 minutes. I do this because the oil gets hot and it will slight brown a good handful of the broccoli giving it a bit of a savory flavor while also steaming them in their moisture. You must have the pan covered for this. When done, set aside to cool.

2. Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, and mustard.

3. Combine the onion, seeds, cranberries, dressing and broccoli in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste, and you can always add more seeds if you want.